For this activity, you are to take a personality test, reflect on the results and introduce yourself.
If you have your doubts about the process, that is fine. Try and put them to one side for a moment and commit to honest participation. Once the test is complete, reflect on how accurately the results align with your own sense of self.
Hello all, I'm Jack. I started the IGD course in January 2022.
Test & Results
I decided to take the personality quiz on 16personalities.com, which categorized me as an Assertive Advocate or INFJ-A. To my surprise, I remember taking the quiz four years ago and getting the same result! Although, some of the percentages have now changed.
Figure 1: Advocate (16personalities.com)
Thoughts & Reflection
I am often sceptical about how accurate these tests truly are. I feel like the results are purposely uplifting, generic and extensive to make it easier to categorise someone (there seems to be a lot of research regarding this concern!). Although, having said that, I believe it's categorised me quite fittingly. Advocates are labelled creative, insightful, principled, passionate and altruistic. Moreover, the weaknesses are being sensitive to criticism, reluctant to open up, perfectionistic, avoiding the ordinary and finally, being prone to burnout. I'd say that the 'weaknesses' are more accurate to what I believe to be true about myself.
Advocates in terms of ‘career paths’ long to find a career that aligns with their values and dreams. I feel like this is true, as I am often ambitious and crave a deeper purpose in whatever I do. Since I last took the quiz, I have become more introverted (with a 20% increase) and assertive. Perhaps lockdown affected the former?
About Me
I am currently a part of an indie studio start-up based in the UK. I have experience using a variety of game engines, although nowadays find myself programming in Unity. Moreover, I have a passion for sound in video games, although I aim to specialise in game design. I believe The Last of Us: Part Two is a perfect example of how powerful visual storytelling and immersive sound design can be within video games.
Furthermore, I hope to improve upon my communication and collaboration skills during this module. Finally, I am looking forward to learning a lot and drawing on this experience in future endeavours.
Project Management for Apps & Games
To kick off this new module, Iain Lobb gave a lecture on Project Management for Apps & Games. Lobb offers advice when forming a team, such as looking for people with skills that complement your own and being patient with new members. Significant mentions that interested me were the use of cloud-based software, a GDD (Game Design Document), milestones and deadlines, risk management and Planning Poker (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Planning Poker (Mike Clayton)
Finally, Lobb highlights a few processes and models that members can adhere to throughout the project. Such as Chris Croft's 12 Step Process, The Iron Triangle, Triple Constraints and lastly, The Pareto Principle.
An Introduction to Teams
Alcwyn Parker then followed up on a lecture about An Introduction to Teams. The takeaways for me were that good teams require good leadership and be sure not to struggle in silence! Parker recommends looking into Tuckman's model and Katzenback and Smith’s book, The Wisdom of Teams.
Welcome to :fish-cake:
Our group consists of three IGD (Adam Hitchen, Kyle Cornwell, and myself) and two UX students (Carie Ng and Aishwarya Susheel), and we have decided to create a game with a replayable core loop!
Replayable Core Loops
Table of Case Studies
2/2.5D Games | 3D Games |
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Books & Academic Resources
The Pyramid of Game Design by Nicholas Lovell
Figure 3: The Pyramid of Game Design
Often procedural and involves interaction with other human players.
Talks about progression systems and unlocking power-ups and characters.
Games are made up of layers, notably called the Retention Layer and Base Layer.
Includes a sense of unpredictability and randomness.
Can include Pre/Post-Event screens.
Figure 4: Clash of Clans Core-loop [Not tied to The Pyramid of Game Design]
Findings & Reflection
There appear to be several games that include an RCL (notably, on mobile). It seems to me that the base game can be whatever you want, as long as it's tied to a retention layer, such as a progression system or unlockables. Lovell's book, The Pyramid of Game Design, explores this topic in greater detail, and I highly recommend it. Lovell states that both layers could even be developed separately from one another -- something to think about.
Initially, I was anxious heading into this module. However, that feeling subsided when I formed a partnership with a peer of mine. The partnership slowly grew into a group consisting of five motivated individuals. I am now excited to start production on a new game, and I hope to use this experience to get to know my peers and grow as a professional. Furthermore, I was fortunate enough to establish a group with a peer I met during my undergraduate degree. During this module, I hope to challenge myself in programming, designing and video editing.
References
LOVELL, NICHOLAS. 2018. The Pyramid Of Game Design. CRC Press.
DESPAIN, WENDY and KEYVAN ACOSTA. 2013. 100 Principles Of Game Design. Berkeley, Calif: New Riders.
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